Then One Morning, a Different World

Tuesday, February 19, was not our big snow of the winter. That was yet to come. What made it spectacular, to my eye, was the way it coincided with a day of gorgeous clouds. As we took the curve from the mountains onto the flats for the first time that morning, with the sunlit playa ahead, I had no idea what sky scenes awaited us farther down the road. Scenes like this: 

As you can see, clouds and blue sky were already playing tug-o’-war, and it was a toss-up which would eventually hold sway. 

Unfortunately — no, I take that back. Fortunately, I had forgotten something back at the cabin, and when we were almost at the city limits of Willcox we turned back to retrace our steps. I could not regret the extra trip as “wasted,” with sights like these in my viewfinder. 

And then, back towards town again, marveling at how hidden the mountains were behind the clouds. 

Areas of blue sky increased, mountains reappeared, and as more sunlight was able to break through, light and cloud shadows on the mountains colored the distances.

As the shots below demonstrate, the last one at day’s end, blue sky eventually triumphed and gave us a clear window for Wednesday’s mountain drive.

Old House, Willcox, Arizona

February Morning, Philadelphia Wash, Dos Cabezas, Arizona

Morning sun

The sun shone through a bit of an overcast haze the other morning when I went down into the wash with my camera. But I'll let pictures tell the rest of the story.

A Tree That Asked to be Photographed

This old oak on Dragoon Road, near the Amerind Museum, grows so close to a huge rock as to seem part of it. The bright blue gate and small red cross, apparently a roadside memorial, add color to the dusty natural scene.

Not a Shy Bird, Apparently

The last four monks were ordered to leave, but the peacocks are still in residence, and volunteers continue to staff the office and bookstore. Not sure what's going on, but the monastery south of St. David, Arizona, is still a pleasant and peaceful place to visit. Here is a review (of sorts) by another visitor who gave the monastery an A rating.

An old Kalamazoo friend and I were making our second visit to the monastery together. This year we explored the birding trail (developed in 1992) and enjoyed time spent on a park bench beside the larger of two ponds on the premises, catching up on one another's lives. We even, to our great delight, found flowing water in the San Pedro River. Water makes Michigan women feel right at home!